Darrell's last term at her beloved Malory Towers, and happily she is made head girl of the school, an honour she takes very seriously and is immensely proud of. But the term has its ups and downs with Gwendoline constantly grumbling about her father, and then suddenly finds herself faced with a tremendous shock which has her leaving before the term ends. And new girl, Amanda, who constantly boasts about her old school, Trenigan Towers, which sadly burned to the ground, and so finds it difficult to settle at a school she sees as second best.—Julie Heginbotham.